Eat the Worm explained

Eat the Worm
Type:studio
Artist:Jonathan Wilson
Cover:Jonathan Wilson - Eat the Worm.png
Length:50:08
Label:BMG
Producer:Jonathan Wilson
Prev Title:Dixie Blur
Prev Year:2020

Eat the Worm is the fifth studio album by American musician and producer Jonathan Wilson. It was released on September 8, 2023, through BMG Rights Management. It was influenced by the works of Jim Pembroke, and received positive reviews from critics.

Critical reception

Eat the Worm received a score of 79 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Classic Rock described it as a modest masterpiece", Mojo remarked that "stylistic Easter eggs confound and delight", while Uncut called it "weird but oddly wonderful".

Thom Jurek of AllMusic deemed it "a showcase for a musician seeking to liberate himself from things he already knows" and wrote that it "feels like Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman writing, recording, and drinking heavily in a late-night studio session. The lyrics are voluminous and framed by loopy, expansive production." Hal Horowitz of American Songwriter summarized Eat the Worm as a "sprawling, 12-song, 51-minute opus that, at least occasionally, will test the most open-minded listener", also comparing Wilson's "laid-back voice" to Nilsson's.